Jacob Bethell misses Australia tour due to knee injury recurrence

Jacob Bethell has been ruled out of England's white-ball tour of Australia and is a significant doubt for the Test tour of South Africa after suffering a recurrence of a knee injury. Bethell initially hurt his right knee in July during a match against India, underwent surgery in September, and recently suffered a setback in training in Australia that requires him to return home to see a specialist. His continued absence is a major concern for England given his importance across all formats, and it stalls his progress after he showed strong form earlier in the year. In response to his absence and other squad changes, England have called up James Coles and Eddie Jack for the white-ball fixtures, while several players now have opportunities to stake their claims for the Test team.